Marblehead resident and assistant professor of psychology at Salem State University Melissa Kaplowitch was recently inducted into the university’s Civic Engagement Hall of Fame for her commitment to improving her community.
“I am humbled and honored to be inducted into the Salem State University Civic Engagement Hall of Fame,” Kaplowitch said in a statement. “I am inspired by my fellow inductees and my students who continue to motivate me to advocate on behalf of others especially now when those who face mental health challenges are in great need.”
A total of six inductees were honored at a ceremony held on April 25 on Salem State’s campus. Nominees were recognized for “advocating for and leading programs that support marginalized communities; connecting individual research and scholarship to improve public outcomes; coordinating events and programs that address social injustices and support civic causes; being involved in nonprofit organizations; and helping students recognize and use their civic agency to bring about social change.”
The individuals were honored by the Salem State University community in five categories: alumni, faculty, staff/administration, undergraduate students, and graduate students.
For the last 22 years, Kaplowitch has trained students to become licensed mental health counselors as the program coordinator of the Master of Science in Counseling program at Salem State. She earned her doctorate in counseling psychology from Northeastern University and her clinical work has emphasized treatment that has been highly effective for those suffering from chronic mental illness.
In Marblehead, she is a community representative to the Marblehead Mental Health Task Force and an executive member of the Boston Regional Anti-Defamation League.
Kaplowitch previously received two other awards for her contributions on the North Shore. In 2016, she was awarded the Edith Block Award from Combined Jewish Philanthropy (CJP) and earned the Salem State Distinguished Teaching Award in 2017.
In addition to her work at the college and elsewhere, her research has delved into “diversity and contextual factors when diagnosing men and boys with anorexia nervosa and the effects of using a trauma-focused cognitive behavioral approach when treating victims of rape.”